Health Administration Salaries in Montana

In July of 2015, NBC Montana reported that North Valley Hospital in Whitefish is planning an expansion to their birthing center due to record birth rates; the current 25-room birthing center has been struggling to accommodate its patients with the recent rise in birth rates. Hospital officials believe that the increase in birth rates may be linked to an influx of new Montana residents from other states. Completion of the expansion is expected to cost another $1 million. The expansion of existing healthcare facilities and the growing healthcare population in Montana are certainly good indicators of the continuous need for healthcare administrators.

In 2014, the Montana Department of Labor & Industry released its annual occupational publication entitled “Informational Wage Rates by Occupation 2014.” According to this publication, the median hospital and medical office administrator salary in MT was $79,020, while the average was slightly higher at $81,140. Starting salary was reported to average $61,194 while experienced administrators averaged $98,155.

Occupational Forecast for Hospital and Medical Office Administrators in Montana

According to the Montana Department of Labor & Industry’s publication “Montana Job Projections 2014-2024,” the demand for hospital and medical office administrators is expected to increase by 19.1% between 2014 and 2024, of which 44% of annual job openings will be linked to occupational demand and growth; about 56% will be related to replacement factors, mainly retirement.

Below is a look at the projected increase in demand for healthcare administrators by region. This is for the 10-year period between 2014 and 2024:

Northwest: 18.5%

Southwest: 17.2%

North Central: 15.1%

South Central: 17.8%

Eastern: 11.5%

Healthcare Administration Salaries by City

One of the most lucrative areas in Montana for new graduates and entry-level hospital and medical office administrators is Billings where the starting salary averages $71,365. Billings also has one of the highest experienced-level salaries at $104,770, which is approximately 6% higher than the statewide average. Below is a look at the various salary averages among hospital and medical office administrators throughout Montana:

Statewide

Starting: $61,194

Average: $81,140

Median: $79,020

Experienced: $98,155

Billings

Starting: $71,365

Average: $91,070

Median: $87,260

Experienced: $104,770

Missoula

Starting: $56,534

Average: $83,760

Median: $80,930

Experienced: $104,166

Great Falls

Starting: $50,877

Average: $81,080

Median: $86,170

Experienced: $102,814

Below is a comparative analysis of hospital and medical office administrator salaries across Montana, according to data published by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2014: